Olivia Munn delivers a a career-best performance in Justine Bateman’s directorial debut, Violet, making its Canadian premiere during TIFF. Let me tell you right off the bat that you need to be in the right mindset for the film. If you don’t have the right headspace, this film could prove to be problematic. Take it from me: I had major depression hit just before SXSW this year. Because of this, I didn’t review Violet during…
"Violet – Toronto 2021"Category: Film Festival
Three Minutes – A Lengthening draws on 16mm color film shot in 1938 by David Kurtz before Nazis invaded Nasielsk’s Jewish community in Poland. The short documentary (69 minutes) is based on Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film by Glenn Kurtz. Throw in the remastering and all the fun that comes along but the footage is truly impressive. We see it so many times throughout the film to…
"Three Minutes – A Lengthening – Venice/Telluride 2021"
Documentary filmmakers Julie Cohen and Betsy West are back at it again with the story of unlikely television star Julia Child in Julia. Julia Child was a legend but she reached this point late in her life. She is proof that if you don’t find fame in your 20s or 30s, you could possibly find it in your 50s. This is exactly what she did when she called into a Boston public television statement about…
"Julia – Telluride 2021"
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Babi Yar tragedy and Babi Yar. Context uses archival footage to remind people what happened. The following order was directed to the Jews living in Kyiv and its surrounding areas on September 26, 1941: All Yids of the city of Kiev and its vicinity must appear on Monday, September 29, by 8 o’clock in the morning at the corner of Mel’nikova and Dokterivskaya streets (near the Viis’kove…
"Babi Yar. Context – Cannes 2021"
Olga is about a teenage gymnast training for the European championship in hope of making the Olympics but her heart is elsewhere. The key to making a sports movie is balancing the sports side of things with the drama or comedy. In this film’s instance, it’s balancing with drama and at times, action. Elie Grappe–with co-writer Raphaëlle Desplechin–has a good grasp of the story he wants to tell from Olga’s (Anastasia Budiashkina) point-of-view. It’s one…
"Olga – International Critics’ Week 2021"
A Radiant Girl (Une jeune fille qui va bien) takes place in occupied France during 1942 but the film takes a unique approach to the Shoah. There are so many stories about the Shoah. When it comes to young women, Anne Frank’s story is a big one. But for Jews living in France, The Journal of Hélène Berr is also of prominence. This book is also listed in the credits and regrettably, this week is…
"A Radiant Girl – International Critics’ Week 2021"
Hannah Marks is back with her newest film, Mark, Mary & Some Other People, about newlyweds exploring relationships with others. After reuniting at a convenience story, Mark (Ben Rosenfield) and Mary (Hayley Law) end up getting married. That may be fine and all but early on, they decide to explore “ethical non-monogamy.” Mary is the one that wants to explore an open marriage and surprisingly, Mark is on board with this. Is this the best…
"Mark, Mary & Some Other People – Tribeca 2021"
LFG (Let’s F*cking Go) follows the U.S. Women’s National Team in their efforts to achieve equal pay from the U.S. Soccer Federation. In a perfect world, this film would not have to be made. But of course, our world isn’t perfect and women are still getting underpaid and undervalued when it comes to paychecks. What LFG shows us is equally heartbreaking in as much as it is infuriating. LFG runs from three months before the…
"LFG (Let’s F*cking Go) – Tribeca 2021"
A southern mom gets her life disrupted in GraceLand when her daughter claims to be the reincarnation of the King himself, Elvis Presley. Prissy (Anna Camp) and Jack (Daniel Eric Gold) eventually learn to go along with it when daughter Grace (Katie Beth West) claims to be Elvis. The film plays this for humor but in a respectful way. According to the director, Elvis uses he/him pronouns. Prissy and Jack are asked to go to…
"GraceLand – Tribeca 2021"
Werewolves Within is a whodunit horror-comedy set in a small town and this film is just as hysterical, albeit scarier, as Knives Out. “Listening is where love begins. Listening to ourselves and then our neighbors.” – Mr. Rogers A Fred Rogers quote probably isn’t the first thing one would think of when it comes to this film. But as far as on-screen quotes go, it’s not as way out there as one would think. That being said,…
"Werewolves Within – Tribeca 2021"